Emma Dante Stages Euripides' Heracles at Syracuse's Greek Theatre

Emma Dante directs Euripides' 'Heracles' at the Greek Theatre of Syracuse, running from May 10 to June 23, 2018. The production features an all-female cast, with Mariagiulia Colace as Heracles, Naike Anna Silipo as Megara, Francesca Laviosa as Iris, Patricia Zanco as Lycus, and Carlotta Viscovo as Theseus. Sena Lippi, Isabella Sciortino, and Arianna Pozzoli play Heracles' sons. Dante describes the ancient theatre as a 'meat grinder' that consumes everything, pushing her to collaborate with costume designer Vanessa Sannino and set designer Carmina Maringola. The director emphasizes the fragility of Heracles, who unlike Ajax or Oedipus, avoids punishment and flees from pain. The male chorus, a key element in Greek tragedy, is performed by male actors. Dante views the chorus as the voice and eyes of the people. The choice of an all-female cast inverts the ancient Greek tradition where men played female roles; Dante insists it is not a gender statement but a focus on the sensuality and fragility of female bodies. She aims for a 'sensual tragedy.'